The main idea of the project is to improve the competitiveness of port systems in the MED area by improving accessibility through technology and procedural innovations, and guaranteeing sustainability of transport. The idea focuses on the realization of interoperable management information systems (WP5) and on the reduction of externalities (WP6).

The project addresses three strategic sectors: freight, passenger and touristic traffics.

The project intends to define and implement, by means of concerted territorial actions and pilot projects, sustainable middle- and long-term development strategies. These will be focused:

• On the removal of the current barriers concerning accessibility of ports (seaside and landside).
• On the integration of ports with the hinterland.
• On the development of logistics activities and intermodal transport connected with ports.
• On the development of infomobility aiming at fostering attractiveness and making port system more efficient.
• On the specialization of port systems.

Specifically, the project intends to make freight and passenger flows seamless by means of experimental activities and pilot projects concerning interoperable information systems which integrate port systems with inland logistics infrastructures (e.g. dry ports) and with transport and service operators. Such information systems will make benefit of the existing national ICT platforms and will be finalized to define the blueprint of an integrated one-stop-shop system transferable to all the MED area, composed of a specialized freight transport management system and a specialized passenger and touristic management system. Such a system will involve the harmonization of data, in terms of structure, gathering and interpretation, in all the MED area.

Specific applications will be developed:

• A dynamic system for the real-time management of freight and passenger flows, aiming at identifying actions to remove congestion and bottlenecks in the interface between ports and related territories (specifically ports included in cities).
• Solutions to digitalize intra-EU port-to-port and port-to-operators' communications related to bureaucratic duties (e.g. Customs).
• Solutions to enable visibility along the transport chain for the operators.
• Solutions for specific supply chain (e.g. agro-food).

FUTUREMED will also be setting up an Observatory whose mission is to gather already existing initiatives and solutions, couple them with the technical developments of the project and create governance procedures and sustainability after the project life cycle. Specific and thematic stakeholders' platforms will support the project team to develop valuable and sustainable solutions which will be tested in pilots, and will be disseminated and capitalized also by means of the Observatory after the project timeframe.